ground north of Beaumont Hamel. This village, like so many that we were now to become acquainted with, had been so thoroughly destroyed by shell fire, our own and that of the enemy, that one might easily have passed through it without realising that there had ever been a village there. All the ground in its neighbourhood was so deeply pitted with shell craters that it was almost impossible for a foot passenger even to find a pathway through them, there being rarely more than an inch or two of the original ground between each. The mud was, moreover, indescribable, and there was not only a risk of being badly bogged, but cases even occurred of men being engulphed and drowned in the viscous mud of a shell crater, and two of our artillery horses lost their lives in this way.

On the night of the 1st February the 310th Brigade, and one battery of the 311th, went into action near Auchonvillers and Engelbelmer, and a few days later helped to support an attack by the 63rd Division, when the enemy was driven out of a part of the Pusieux trench and thereby forced to evacuate Grandcourt.

On the 10th the same batteries supported the 32nd Division in a successful assault on Ten Tree Alley; on this occasion we had the first casualty among our officers, Capt. H. C. Lasbrey being severely wounded.

The remainder of the batteries took over their positions in action from the 7th Division on the 11th and 12th February, as did our infantry during the following two days; and on the 15th I took over the artillery command. After a period of intense cold, during which the temperature fell below zero one night, a thaw set in this day, and the mud difficulty again became acute. Early on the 17th the 63rd Division on our immediate right attacked and captured the Swan trench north of Grandcourt, taking about 100 prisoners. The 311th Brigade did good work in this successful little operation, and I got a special message of thanks for their help from the G.O.C. 2nd Corps.

Arrangements were now in progress for a fresh attack, and, new positions having being selected on the western outskirts of Beaumont Hamel, the first sections of all the batteries moved into them on the 21st. The remainder was preparing to follow when, on the morning of Saturday, the 24th February, our patrols discovered that the enemy had vacated his line. The 5th Corps, to which we belonged, at once began a cautious advance, and on the 25th had occupied Serre and Miraumont, while the Division on our right pressed on into Pys. Strenuous efforts, which none who took part in them are likely to forget, were now made to push forward the guns, although the one road through Beaucourt to Miraumont was all but impassable. Officers and men worked with a will, and by the 28th all batteries were in action at the Bois d'Hollande and Baillescourt, while one section of the Ammunition Column was advanced to the neighbourhood of Hamel. Major R. C. Williams was wounded on this date, and had to leave us, a great loss to the Divisional Artillery.

It was now established that the Boche was holding the line Bucquoy—Achiet-le-Petit—Loupart, and it became necessary to advance the guns to closer range. Positions were accordingly reconnoitred in and around Miraumont, and every endeavour was made to occupy them as quickly as possible. By the 3rd of March most of the batteries were in their new positions, and the front infantry line on that date ran along the dry ditch from the East of Pusieux to the railway line about a mile N.E. of Miraumont. During the next week the forward move was completed in the face of indescribable difficulties. On the 3rd March, Lieut. H. A. Sabelli, and on the 5th Lieut. E. W. Jephson, were wounded, and two more officers were hit on the 6th, Lieuts. R. Holburn and J. MacIlroy. Major Swain had a fortunate escape; when his battery got into Miraumont he took up his quarters in a German dug-out, which boasted the luxury of a fireplace. His servant was about to light a fire, when Swain told him that he needn't bother about it that night. Next morning the man was laying the fire when he noticed a bit of wire; closer investigation showed a length of quick-match fastened to the wire and leading to a hole under the dug-out, in which was packed sufficient explosive to have blown the whole place sky-high. On the 5th, Divisional Headquarters moved to Engelsart, a hutted camp between Engelbelmer and Martinsart.

Miraumont was a particularly dangerous and unpleasant spot; the Bosche kept it continually under shell-fire, and also bespattered freely the one road which formed our communication with it. This road ran for over half-a-mile in full view of the enemy, and was in such a shocking state of disrepair that all ammunition had to be brought up on pack saddles, each horse or mule carrying eight rounds. The country on each side was such a slough of despond that it was generally impossible for pack animals to leave the road, and as all movements had to take place at night, the ammunition supply was a very serious problem. At least 4000 rounds were required for daily consumption, and I find in my diary that 1600 horse loads were sent up on the night of the 4th, in batches of 25 animals at ten minutes interval, and that only one man was hit in the process, although the road was constantly under fire. There was very little rest for any of the drivers, whether of the D.A.C. or of the batteries, and their zeal, endurance, and good temper were beyond all praise.

Just before the road enters Miraumont a sunken road runs to the left, honeycombed with dug-outs and occupied by one of our Infantry Brigade Headquarters; and on the right a steep path leads down into the valley. Here the three Colonels have their precarious shelters; sometimes things may be quiet for a short breathing space—more often they are just the reverse. On the 11th, all through the afternoon, and right on through the night, shells were exploding in this part of the valley on an average of one every two minutes. Not much damage was done, but the strain of it may be imagined on the nerves of those who have to live there without any adequate cover. The village is utterly destroyed, but has not disappeared. Walls and ruins still stand, sometimes as high as ten feet or so, and the streets are distinguishable. But it is not good to linger in them. Almost unceasingly in one part or another of the skeleton village shells scream and crash, raking the streets with bullets and splinters, and hurling bricks and beams in every direction. Here are to be found Swain's, Foot's, Bigg's, Arnold Forster's, Hudson's, and Robinson's batteries, the others being outside in the scarcely less dangerous outskirts of the village.

During the fighting in Miraumont, the losses in the Artillery amounted to 6 officers (Capt. F. H. Seeman gassed, in addition to those already mentioned) and about 70 other ranks, while a great many horses and mules were killed; nine guns were knocked out by Artillery fire. The strain on officers and men was very great; and although the latter were able to get some slight respite from danger, though not from hard work, by taking an occasional spell at the wagon lines, it was difficult to give any relief to the officers. I therefore started an experiment which was a great success for the short time in which it was possible for it to remain in operation. One of the less ruined houses in Mailly-mailly was commandeered and roughly fitted up as a rest house in charge of one of the trench mortar officers, the mortars not yet having been brought into action. It was arranged that three officers at a time should be accommodated here for a clear three days and nights, during which they would have nothing to do but take it easy and recoup themselves, away from the noise and